The latest development in the fractional resurfacing area is the new Carbon dioxide FRAXEL laser (also known as FRAXEL Repair).

This laser has several advantages and disadvantages compared with the existing Erbium FRAXEL laser. The advantages are that usually only one or two treatments are required and the results are marginally better than for the Erbium FRAXEL laser.

The main disadvantage is that it requires a week or so of down time with some swelling and oozing, especially for the first few days.

Most patients are not too concerned about the down time involved and it is certainly much less than with the older ablative laser procedures which vaporised away the entire surface of the skin in order to produce the good results.

For the last 10 years in Australia, polysaccharide injections have been the mainstay of dermal fillers. These fillers can be used to soften lines on the face, such as nasolabial lines and for lip plumping.

This year, two new polysaccharide fillers became available in Australia giving your treating doctor more options to tailor the optimal result for you.

The Fraxel laser is a relatively new laser. It is called an Erbium fractional resurfacing laser with a wavelength of 1550nm (also known as FRAXEL Restore) This laser is quite unique in that it makes little channels/perforations down into the collagen layer of the skin. This has the effect of stimulating new collagen production in the dermis which is called collagen neogenesis. This process takes between three and six months to be complete. The beauty of this treatment is that the perforations are so tiny that the surface of the skin heals very quickly, usually within two to four days unlike the more invasive ablative lasers. It is an excellent laser for producing results with less healing time and misery than other laser systems which have been available in the past. Ablative lasers give a marginally better improvement for serious wrinkles but taking everything into account, the FRAXEL laser really is a more appropriate treatment for most patients. It can be used on people with darker skins as well. As well as improving the texture of the skin, the FRAXEL laser will also fade away what we call dyschromia. This is the motley brown and sallow skin which occurs over the years with our Australian climate. The FRAXEL laser is also suitable for the treatment of acne scars and can be used in isolation or in conjunction with other treatment modalities. The main issue with the treatment of acne scars is that patients have realistic expectations.

Fraxel laser treatment has become very popular at our clinic for facial rejuvenation, treatment of acne and other scars and some pigmentary disorders.

We offer an inhalation anaesthetic to suitable Fraxel laser patients. It is administered using an inhaler which a patient inserts into the mouth. 

It is used by the ambulance service of New South Wales as a form of pain relief while transporting patients.

The Erbium FRAXEL laser has been found to be very effective in the majority of cases of melasma (pigment mask of pregnancy or hormones).

Between three and five treatments are required spaced about one month apart and there are two or three days of swelling and discolouration following each treatment.

Patients who have this treatment still need to use their bleaching creams on a regular basis and avoid unnecessary sun exposure on the face.

Excessive underarm sweating, also known as axillary hyperhidrosis, is a common problem and can be treated with multiple small injections.

Patients usually get six to eight months relief from excessive sweating following this treatment.

If you would like more information about this treatment, please call the clinic on 02 9953 9522 and make an appointment with Dr Marianne Nolan.

'Mouth frown' can make a person look unhappy or grumpy even when they are perfectly content.  In some people a sad looking mouth can be treated by injecting muscle relaxants into the DAO (depressor anguli oris) muscle which pulls down the edges of the mouth.

This procedure can be done quickly and only involves two small injections.  Results take three to seven days to start and patients receive benefit for three to six months.

A new type of tattoo ink has been invented by Harvard dermatologist Professor Rox Anderson.

This ink can be removed with only one laser treatment as opposed to traditional tattoo ink that require 4 to 14 laser treatments. The ink is a combination of dyes and polymer. The polymer is a plastic that cannot be absorbed by the body, the dyes are biodegradable and can be absorbed by the body.

When the dyes are bound to the polymer, the ink is permanent like regular tattoo ink. A single laser treatment breaks the bond connecting the polymer to the dye. The tattoo disappears as the dyes break down and are absorbed into the body. This ink costs approximately $100 extra when the tattoo is applied but could be good insurance against tattoo regret. The new ink is called Freedom-2 ink.

The Ulthera is a focused ultrasound instrument which is designed to give a non surgical tightening of the facial skin (and of other areas). Although this instrument is only just being trialled, it appears to be extremely safe and more effective than Thermage or Titan or any of the other non surgical skin tightening procedures.

If you would like to discuss this further, please call the clinic on 02 9953 9522.